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Steelers WR Mike Wallace deserves Larry Fitzgerald money

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Mike Wallaces deserves Larry Fitzgerald money

David Barbour - NY Sports Examiner
May 25, 2012

Every year in the NFL there are a plethora of players who are unhappy with their contract situations. The unhappy players universally think that the NFL team currently employing them is not paying them a salary commensurate with their true value. Not every player who makes such a claim is correct, but when it comes to Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace, he is absolutely correct.

Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have offered Mike Wallace, currently a restricted free agent, a one-year tender offer that is reportedly worth $2.74 million. Wallace has yet to sign his one-year nor should he. For a player of Wallace's ability, a contract offer like that is insulting and reeks of the Pittsburgh Steelers exploiting the level of production he provides.

As to what Wallace would prefer to be paid, reports have come out that he would like to receive a contract at least equal to the one Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald possesses. Last year, Fitzgerald signed an eight-year, $120 million contract. If the reports are providing an accurate picture of the contract Wallace feels he has earned, then they are exactly right.

Wallace does deserve a handsome payday like the one Fitzgerald received because he has the potential to be a more valuable wide receiver over his career than Fitzgerald. I am basing this claim on how the two wide receivers stacked up in their first three NFL seasons.

Using NFL.com's and Pro-Football Reference.com's pass target and play-by-play data, I removed both wide receivers' statistics from their quarterbacks' in order to gauge just how valuable they were to their respective teams' passing attacks.In three seasons in the NFL, after Wallace's statistics were removed from his quarterbacks' statistics, his quarterbacks became 1.6 percent better in completion percentage (from 63.3 percent to 64.3 percent), 7.4 percent worse in yards per pass attempt (from 8.1 to 7.5), 7.7 percent worse in adjusted yards per pass attempt (from 7.8 to 7.2), 7.1 percent worse in yards per completion (from 12.8 to 11.7), 17.8 worse in touchdown percentage (from 4.5 percent to 3.7 percent), and 11.5 percent worse in interception percentage (from 2.6 percent to 2.3 percent).

Compare that to what Fitzgerald did in the first three years of his career, which took place from 2004-06. When his statistics were removed from his quarterbacks' statistics over that time frame, his quarterbacks underwent an .8 percent increase in completion percentage (from 60.3 percent to 60.8 percent), a 4.3 percent decrease in yards per pass attempt (from 6.9 to 6.6), a 3.3 percent decrease in adjusted yards per pass attempt (from 6.1 to 5.9), a 6.1 percent decrease in yards per completion (from 11.5 to 10.9, a 33.3 percent decrease in touchdown percentage (from 3.0 percent to 2.0 percent), and a 21.9 percent decrease in interception percentage (from 3.2 percent to 2.5 percent).

In the most important statistical categories, yards per pass attempt, adjusted yards per pass attempt, and yards per completion, Wallace is the receiver who provided the most value in his first three seasons.It is worth nothing that Fitzgerald went on to have great success in his following seasons, but despite that fact, it would make more sense to give Wallace his monster contract now when he is entering his age-26 season; Fitzgerald was entering his age-28 season at the time he signed his contract, of which about $50 million was guaranteed.

Based on the fact Wallace is younger than Fitzgerald at the time Fitzgerald signed his latest contract and also demonstrated he had more potential going forward to due to a more impressive first three seasons in the NFL, he certainly deserves to be paid as well as Fitzgerald is.

It seems Wallace and/or his agent went to the Steve Jobs school of business. Keep saying something often enough, no matter how ridiculous, it eventually becomes a form of reality.

If Wallace or his agent really think he deserves Fitz money, I say the Steelers should let him walk. For someone that might only touch the ball 6 or 7 times a game, that is a lot of coin. Does anyone even remember that last quarter of the season where Wallace virtually disappeared?

Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have offered Mike Wallace, currently a restricted free agent, a one-year tender offer that is reportedly worth $2.74 million. Wallace has yet to sign his one-year nor should he. For a player of Wallace's ability, a contract offer like that is insulting and reeks of the Pittsburgh Steelers exploiting the level of production he provides.

It is the highest tender available and must be offered in order to retain the rights of a RFA you clueless moron!! This is not an insult as you suggest, it is a necessity.

What struck me about this article is the unconventional use of statistics to prove the point. I think there a reason we dont commonly hear these type of WR comparisons ... ie removing their stats then comparing their QBs productivity. The only thing it reflects is MWs role in our offense, a long baller. If you look at one of the most important QB stats, Yards Per Attempt, the author states that Ben was about 0.3 yards per attempt less efficient without Wallace. Multiply that by 40 attempts per game and Wallace is worth about 12 yards per game. So in essence, the author asserts that Wallace is worth about $1million per game because he improves the passing attack by 12 yards per game.

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, hear the lamentations of their women.

This writer is on CRACK! Fitz shouldn't be paid 15 mil per, let alone Wallace. Wallace has done well, but there are still question marks concerning ability and potential. I think a fair contract would be 3 years/15 mil (5 mil per) and if he is still on top of the league standings, give him a huge contract or let him walk.